LEARNING SESSIONS - Friday

Learning Session 5

9:45am - 10:45am

Preparing for a Payroll implementation

Cultivate Your Communication Skills to Improve Your Impact

Presented by: Jennifer Fairweather, Jefferson County

In many organizations, payroll professionals are often on the front line of managing employee communication. How communication is facilitated can impact (positively or negatively) the outcomes of the message. In this session, we will explore the key concepts of communication and focus on the various types of messages delivered by payroll professionals. This session is a great opportunity for practitioners at all levels to hone their strategic communication delivery skills and practice the art of storytelling.

UI Basics

Child Support: Basics and What's New

Presented by: Cynthia Holdren, Federal Child Support

Workshop participants will get an overview of an employer’s legal responsibilities in the child support program and review income withholding with opportunities to ask questions. You’ll hear about getting income withholding orders electronically, and other services to help employers improve efficiency in performing their responsibilities. We’ll briefly cover reporting upcoming lump sum payments and terminations on the Child Support Portal and other Portal services. There’s a lot going on in the child support program!

Learning Session 6

11:00am - 12:00pm

Unclaimed Property

Score: Successfully Navigating a Project From Start to Finish

Presented by: Jennifer Lucero, DeVry University

Business as we know it has changed, and non-project managers are working in roles that require project management skills. Discover key takeaways that can enhance your approach to managing tasks and help improve the outcome of projects at work.

The value of project management to the team and the company

Communication throughout the project lifecycle

A 5-step planning and execution process

Technology tools that help you get the job done

Employee Vs Independent Contractors

Presented by: TBA, Colorado Department of Labor

Statutory differences, contracts, the audit process and what to expect.

Pay Me in Company Stock: An Overview of Equity Compensation Plans

Presented by: John Barringer and Barbara Gunnafson

An overview of the various types of equity compensation (Tax issues optional)

A survey of the research into plan participant attitudes about equity compensation

A summary of the methodology of plan administration with particular emphasis on inter-departmental cooperation

Learning Session 7

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Are your employees traveling and creating payroll requirements outside of their primary work location?

Presented by: Lisa Dorvinen, Delloit

As employees travel on business they may be creating payroll withholding and reporting requirements in each jurisdiction they travel. Our presentation will focus on those requirements and highlight which jurisdictions are stepping up their enforcement activities.

Nuts and Bolts of Garnishments

Presented by: Bill Dunn, CPP, American Payroll Association

Federal and state laws play an important role in involuntary deductions, and adherence to those widely varying regulations is crucial. We’ll cover child support, federal and state levies, creditor and student loan garnishments. We’ll discuss multiple withholding orders, which ones have priority, and what to do with the money – you might even get to keep some of it.

Unemployment Tax Rate Management Strategies

Presented by: Christopher Carpenter, Thomas & Company

This session will explore the different strategies that can be leveraged to reduce total spend associated with unemployment. Techniques that will be discussed include: unemployment claims management, voluntary contributions, joint account elections, transfer of experience provisions, and other tactics. Please join us to explore how you can reduce and mitigate unemployment taxes, and decrease costs for your organization.

Learning Session 8

2:45pm - 3:45pm

What are the criminals up to now?

Presented by: Karen Gurgle, IRS

An overview of digital currency, DarkNet marketplaces and how it is being used by criminals to undercut the integrity of our nation’s economic system, avoid taxation, and bolster ID theft.

Colorado Wage Withholding

Presented by: Jenny Oem and Adriana Balderrama Estrada

Filing, common errors, how to correct errors, how to file for refunds and annual wage withholding reconciliation requirements.

We’ve all been there. We see something that looks out of place, we investigate the issue, and we realize we have a potential payroll problem. But, what should we do once we think wages have been miscalculated, the regular rate of pay is inaccurate, or there is simply a discrepancy between hours worked and hours paid? This presentation will provide a roadmap of the steps to take once a payroll issue is identified.

Implementing Progressive Benefit Strategies Amidst Stagnant Times

Presented by: Aaron Webb, Black Diamond Benefits

Fall means employee benefits season and this year looks a lot like the dichotomy of the 1920’s! We’ve got progressive technology and data-mining tools to predict renewals and simplify the employee enrollment experience. Best practice employers are increasingly adding non-insurance solutions to their benefits programs with amazing results too.

Meanwhile, it’s Prohibition vs Speakeasies as the Individual Mandate has been struck down but IRS enforcement of the Employer Mandate is rising. State and private exchanges have largely failed, but tax credits are alive and well. Insurance and pharmacy mergers are all over the news, but price and competition incentives seem mostly flat.

This revealing session will get your employee benefits program in swing with the latest strategies for:

cost savings,

renewal prediction

and trending solutions for simplified enrollment with increased employee engagement.

Case studies on actual client renewals and the results they are enjoying will also be explained so you can jitterbug, jive and hop your way into benefits season with action steps in-hand by the end of this session!